Improvement in fire-escapes



G. J. A. TAGGAR'T.

FIRE-ESCAPES.

No. 193,901. Patented Aug, 7,1877.

TTNITED STATES PATENT OFFroE.

GEORGE A. TAGGART, OF PARSONS, KANSAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FlRE-ESCAPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 193,901, dated August 7, 1877; application filed June 4, 1877;

To all whom it may concern: 7 r 7 Be it known that I, GEORGE J. A. TAG- GART, of Parsons, in the county of Labette and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a specification:

This invention has relation to means for affording safe egress from .the upper stories of a building which is on fire.-

The invention will first be described in connection with the drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is a front view of the wall of a building, showing my fire-escape and the receptacle therefor, arranged below a window-sill. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views in detail.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The letter A designates the wall of a building, and B represents a recess made therein just below the sill of a window. If desired, this recess B may be lined with metal, or a cast-iron box may be set into the wall flush with its surface. The bottom of the recess should be inclined downward and outward, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to form a self-discharging chute for a chain ladder.

O designates atrap-door, which is hinged at the bottom ofthe recess B, and adapted for closing the same. On theinsideof the doorOis an angular lever-bolt, D, the upper end of which is designed to enter a recess, b, made in the window-sill E, and to hold the door fast when it is shut, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower end of thelever-boltD is extended outward through a hole made through the door 0, and has at tached to it ablock or blade, F, arranged so th ata stream of water directed up ward against it from a hose will unlatchthe door O'and allow it to be forced open by a rod, G, acted on by a spring,,c, 'attached to the top wall of the recess B. The door 0 may be shut by a rope or chain, d, which is attached to the bolt D and carried inside ofthe building, and which may be used for unlatching the bolt.

In hotels and other large buildings I contemplate establishing communication between each one of the trap-doors used and the of- The rod G is allowed to receive free endwise play through the wall of the building,

and on its inner end is loosely applied the loop of a hammer-rod arm, 0, bearing a hammer for striking a bell, H. The hammer-rod is actuated by well-known clock-escapement mechanism, (shown in Figs. 2 and 3,) which may be inclosed in a suitable case in the room. When the door 0 is shut the loop of the hammer-rod is attached to the rod G, and prevents the alarm from being sounded; but should the door 0 be opened, the rod G will instantly detach itself from the hammer-rod and cause an alarm.

J designates a chain ladder, which is attached to the top wallof the recess B, and made of sufficient length to reach the curb stone of the sidewalk, where its lower end can be attached to hooks or rings fixed thereto. The lower end of the ladder is attached toaflanged drum or reel, K, on which it is wound, and put into the receptacle B, as shown in Fig. 2. When the door 0 is opened the reel will fall and unwind.

. Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent.

1. The combination, with door (J, of the spring-bolt G and lever-bolt -D, the latter extended through the door and provided with a blade, F, as described.

2. The combination, with wall-chamber, having hinged door and bottom downwardly inclined to the front, of the ladder J, attached rigidly to roof of chamber at one end and to-a reel, K, at the other, for the purpose specified.

GEORGE J. A. TAGGART.

Witnesses:

S. A. BIGGS, G. P. CLARK. 

